The Value of Pen and Paper

Beauty was accepted into an Early Childhood Education program in our school district. She actually starts on March 22, but that issue–as well as my mixed feelings on said topic–is for another place and time. Bella has more than a handful of appointments–a NICU follow up, another auditory exam, her pediatric ophthalmologist, her Early Intervention assessments, and so on–lined up over the next few months. Today, I broke down and purchased something I hadn’t even considered in years. I bought a true-to-life, paper datebook and planner.

Listen, I’ll be the first to admit that most of my life is on my smart phone. Truly. I program in old memories (for instance, four years ago today I was at my own baby shower and enormously pregnant with Bear), birthdays I already know by heart, all appointments for every member of my five person family. I set reminders and alarms. I pencil in my husband’s schedule down to a science, even though it never changes (with the exception of trades or days off); I actually know it so very well, I’m fairly confident I could sing it in my sleep. I live and breathe through my smart phone. But today, I made an “old school” leap of faith back to paper.

If it’s one suggestion I can offer to any adoptive parents–especially new ones much like myself–of a child with special needs, it’s that organization is vital to maintaining a steady handle on your child’s schedule. From routine appointments to things slightly out of the ordinary, there’s something to be said about maintaining a log of where you need to be and when. We have a basic monthly calendar hung on our fridge, but after accidentally scheduling two appointments twenty minutes apart in time and ninety minutes apart in distance more than once, I realized I needed something a bit more. I needed to have my entire family’s schedule at my fingertips at all time. Enter the datebook/planner purchased earlier today.

During a much-needed nap for all three of my babies, I spent a few moments setting up said planner for the rest of the month of March. It’s strange how something so simple can produce such an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. By the time I made it to March 31, I realized that I will probably never be able to survive a month without such an indispensable tool at my disposal.

It might sound a bit silly to be this excited over an everyday tool used for organization, but there’s no denying there’s a steadfast psychological aspect to my satisfaction. I feel as though my organization on paper will inevitably lead to better productivity and time management in my life, especially where my children (and their schedules) are concerned. And the comfort that brings far outweighs the $10.99 I spent on said organizer earlier today.

Photo Credit.

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